Folding rapid spinner wrench



Nimh 22, 1949. E. w, E'LLISON 2,465,152

FOLDING RAPIDv SPINNER WRENCH Filed Nov. 7, 1945 Patented Mar. a, 1949 UNITED-STATES PATENT. OFFICE Ernest W. Ellison, Caldwell, Idaho Application November 7, 1945, No. 627,137

This invention relates to animproved wrench, and one of its objects is to provide a. wrench with lever handle bars which can befolded against the shank of the wrench. 4

Another object ofthe invention is the provision of a wrench with a shank having a ball bearing hand grip sleeve, and lever handles extending, away from the shank,` lso that the shank canbe rapidly rotated or spun about the work, 'and a nut or bolt rapidly secured in position, or rapidly released.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a wrench with a shank having bifurcated bearings on the opposite side thereof, a leverrhandle arm pivoted to 'each bearing, and spring pressedmeans for locking each lever arm either in'extended handle position, or in folded position against the side of the shank.

With the abovev and other objects in view the invention comprises certain new and useful constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts, clearly described in the following specification, and fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, showing certain parts in section. A

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view, broken away,

of the inner portion of one of the lever handle arms.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the practical embodiment of the invention, 5 designates the main central shank, which is formed on its lower end with a Wrench or polygonal end bit 6, having a spring pressed clutch ball 1, and constructed to engage ansocket bolt or screw or a socket nut. This lower end is also formed with an integral stop collar 8.

The shank 5' is also formed with a slightly enlarged cylindrical. section 9, which is shown to be externally knurled. Above the knurled section 9 integral bearing lugs -I0 and Il are formed on oppositesides thereof and in the same transverse plane. Each lug is bifurcated.

A lever handle bar I2 is provided with a flat end tenon I3, which is disposed between the spaced sides of the bifurcated bearing lug III, and is held in place by means of the pivot pin I4. The body of the lever handle bar I2 is formed round, and the outer end of the same is formed with an integral end ball I5, while the sides of the end tenon I3 are formed parallel `so as to have a full bearing between the sides of the' bifurcated lug I0.

A second lever handle bar I6 is provided,

which 1 claim.y (ci. isi-177') is a duplicate of thelever handle bar I2, and is formedwith a terminal ball II on its outer end and a at tenon I8 on its inner end, which is pivoted between the sides of the bifurcated lug II by the pivot pin I9. v

, T he tenon` I3 is formed with a curved outer edge face I3a, which is radial to the pivot pin thereof, and this edge is formed with an end ball recess I3b, and with side ball recesses I3c and I3d. The tenon -I8 is -similarly constructed, being provided with the end ball recess I8a, the side ball recesses I 8b and I8c, and the radial edge I8d. The bifurcated bearing lug I0 is also formed with a concave face 10a, which is radial to the pivot pin of the lever handle bar I2, and the bearing lug II is formed with a concave'face Ila,

which is radial to the pivot pin of the lever handle bar I6.

The shank 5 -is provided with a transverse hole v 25 in which the expansion coil spring 2I'is disposed, and one end of this spring engages the small clutch ball 22, which is adapted to snap into any one of the ball recesses of the tenon I3, and the other end 'of ythis spring engages the clutch ball 23, which is adapted' to snap into any one of the ball-recesses of the tenon I8.

Above the bearing lugs I0 and II alsecond knurled section 22' is provided, and above this knurled section a smooth cylindrical section 25 is provided, on which the hand grip sleeve 2B is mounted to freely turn. This sleeve is retained in place by means ofthe keeper ring 21, which engages the external groove 28 of the section 25, and the internal groove 29 of the lower end of the sleeve 26. The sleeve turns freely on the ball bearings 30, located above the keeper ring 21, and upon the ball bearings 3l, located near the upper end of the sleeve. A single end thrust ball 32 is provided between the end Wall 33 of the sleeve 26 and the upper end of the cylindrical section 25 of the shank 5, so that maximum freej dom of turning of the sleeveon the shank 5, or of the shank in the sleeve, when the latter is rmly gripped, will be obtained.

When it is desired to tighten or loosen-a screw or Ibolt, or a socket cap nut, the lever handle bars are extended to rightv angular handle posi.- tions, and the tool is rapidly spun by applying manual pressure to one of the bars, while the wrench bit is held downwardly by manual -presobtained by each of the lever handle bars, a tight screw or-nut may be quickly and safely loosened, or a free screw or nut quickly coupled in place, and then' tightened home, -by a nal manual effort applied on one or both of the lever handle bars.

It is understood that various changes may be made in the construction of the parts, their arrangement and combination, within the scope of the invention, as defined by the claim hereof.

Having described the invention, I claim as new:

A hand operated tool comprising a shank having a bit on one end thereof to engage a screw, at least two fixed bearing lugs on opposite sides of said shank lnterrnediate its ends, each bearing lug having parallel bifurcations forming a mortise, a lever handle bar with an outer Iball terminal and having a ten-on pivoted to each bearing lug and having parallel sides positioned between said parallei bifurcations, each said tenon having an end ball recess and side ball recesses therewith vincluding a radial to its pivot center, a bore extending through said shank on an axis lying between said bifurcations and intersecting the pivotal axis of each handle bar, a spring pressed clutchball within said bore engaging each tenori and 4 adapted to snap into any ball recess aligned therewith, and a hand grip sleeve mounted to turn on the shank and provided with ball engagement sole top thrust bearing. ERNEST W. ELLISON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are' of record in th le of this patent: 1 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,004,496 Suster Sept, 26, 1911 1,175,902 Peterson Mar. 14, 1916 15 1,388,928' Bullard Aug. 30, 1921 1,530,905 Nance Mar. 24, 1925 1,578,114 Fegley Mar. 23, 1926 1,638,252 Fitzgerald Aug. 9, 1927 1,643,814 Peterson Sept. 27, 1927 20 1,710,198 Torgerson Apr. 23, 1929 2,294,510 Nakano Sept. 1, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTSA Number Countr'y Date 25 257,869 Italy Mar. 22, 1928 693,157 France Aug. 18, 1930 

